Flame and Phoenix
by Anjelle
Summary: Phoenixes are said to be immortal - to rise from their own ashes and continue to live. So what happens when a phoenix devil fruit user dies? Amidst a losing battle, Ace finds out first-hand. [No pairings. Set before the start of the canon series]
1. Firebird End

**So I've been working on this story for a while now and thought I might as well post it now and see what you guys think. I'm going to try to finish writing chapter 6 tonight and then when I get up to 8 written I'll check the feedback (reviews, favs, follows) and if you guys are enjoying it, I'll keep updating :) I'll update at the same rate I'm updating ****_Within_****, so for every 2 chapters I write I'll do 1 update (at least for now) so that I have something to upload in case I can't write for a while.**

**Please leave a review telling me what you think! Anyways, enjoy~**

**Disclaimer: I, under no circumstances, own One Piece. At all. Sad but true.**

* * *

A persistent ache rushed through his body, settling in his back and shoulders. Wincing, he peered blearily at the sky, his hands digging into the rock beneath him as he tried to rise. His strength failed, though, and he found himself unable to move. It was too painful.

Vaguely he could make out a head of spiky, blonde hair and slightly tanned skin. The first mate hung above him, lips moving as he formed words Ace was unable to make out. He couldn't focus—couldn't hear. Through the agonizing sharpness of his wounds he could barely feel two firm hands arrive on his shoulders, jerking him as the man's expression grew desperate. He was speaking more frantically.

For just an instance he had to close his eyes. In that moment he could finally hear.

"Hold on."

Opening them once more, Ace found the blonde was gone. Leaving not a trace, he just seemed to vanish. At first he didn't care—it didn't bother him—but as he lay there against the hard, jagged stone, he remembered where he was: a battle field. He bit his lip.

Forcing himself up, leaning back against his forearms, he peered ahead. He could see his crewmates still fighting, thrusting their swords at the enemy marines. He saw bodies, both uniformed and not, strung along the ground in pools of blood. His brothers…

And then he saw him—Akainu.

As the Admiral moved to attack him, his eyes widened. He couldn't move—couldn't escape. And then, just as the man move forward, he saw that same head of blonde hair. He saw Marco, seastone shrapnel breaking out of the skin on his back. He saw the blood trail down his discoloured flesh to land on the grey rock beneath his feet. He saw him brace himself as the Admiral pressed onward.

Eyes enlarged to twice their size, he watched the enemy's magma fist push through the first mate's torso. He saw it come clean through the other side, leaving nothing in its place. Unable to do anything—to help—he merely sat there as Marco's body went limp, held up only by the appendage that threatened his life.

When Akainu removed his arm and allowed his victim to fall to the ground, he realized that the blonde would be unable to regenerate.

He just stayed there, shocked, as the marine used all of his strength to kick the unmoving figure of the first division commander as far as he could manage. He flew through the air like he was nothing.

"M... Marc…"

And just like that, the last of his strength failed him. He collapsed back to the cold, unfeeling ground. Mind clouded and vision fading, the image of his crewmate—his older brother—being tossed aside carved itself into his mind.

Marco was dead, wasn't he?

* * *

The next time Ace woke he found himself back on the Moby Dick, safe and sound as though nothing happened. The only thing out of the norm was that he was bandaged up, laying in one of the infirmary's beds with some of the other crew members and… Marco wasn't among them.

He got the gist of what happened after he passed out; they retreated, of course. The first and second divisions had been sent to scour an island ahead of the main ship to check for marines. They found them alright. Amidst crumbling ruins and dense forest they waited for them, clearly tipped off by someone who saw that the infamous Whitebeard pirates were in the vicinity. Akainu guessed which island they were heading to and was right. The only reason they weren't completely annihilated was because Oyaji had a bad feeling and sent two divisions instead of one. If he hadn't…

"Hey," came a hesitant voice to his side. The sound was enough to break Ace away from his thoughts and he turned to face it, seeing Thatch. He made no response, though, because of the numbing pain and drowsiness that coursed through his body. "How ya feeling?"

The commander turned away from his redheaded friend, opting instead to stare at the ceiling. Ace didn't care how he was feeling. It didn't matter. "Where's Marco?" He kept his eyes off of Thatch as he said that, unwilling to see his reaction.

"Ace, he… You saw," he started as his voice trembled and tripped over the words. He didn't have to see to know that the man was clenching every muscle in his body. "…When we saw the smoke coming from the island we went to help. I was there... Nobody could survive that, Ace."

The boy felt a breath hitch in his throat. Gritting his teeth, he fought back against the stinging in his eyes. "He can't… Marco, he… he's a phoenix. He's supposed to be immortal."

He heard the other let out a shaky breath. "The seastone," he pointed out. Finishing the thought was unnecessary, he discovered, spotting the broken look in the freckled pirate's eyes. "…He's gone."

Ace cringed. Over and over he saw the blonde kicked into the air like a ragdoll, all-the-while knowing it was his fault. _He_ was to blame. He wasn't strong enough—couldn't protect himself, much less anyone else. And forever he would have his brother's blood on his hands with the knowledge that he was powerless to save him.

"Then…" Ace prepared himself for his next question and swallowed as he drew in a panicked breath. "…Have you buried him yet?" Asking that, he finally looked at the redhead's face.

Thatch turned away. "…We didn't have time to search for him. The marines were right behind us."

Ace's eyes widened. "He's still out there?" The other gave a curt nod. Pausing, Ace thought that over in his head. "…How long?"

"Huh?"

"How long was I out?"

Thatch thought before speaking. "Two days," he replied, deciding it best to add some further information. "We're hiding in a cape on the far side of the island until you guys get back on your feet. The marines left last night, so we should be safe."

Ace nodded. "Then I'll go look for him."

"Have you seen your body? You can't even get out of bed!" he shouted frantically. After a pause he calmed and turned to a more solemn look. "I don't think I could handle losing both of you."

"I'll wait 'til tomorrow, then."

"That's not—"

"I've made up my mind." Ace's eyes narrowed as he looked up to stare once more at the wood of the ceiling. "It's my fault he…" His voice faded. "It's the least I can do. He's family, Thatch."

A long silence passed between them. The mood was thick—unsettling. Finally the redhead sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, mauling over what to say in his head. In the end he seemed to give up. "Fine, you're right. But I'm going with you."

* * *

The nighttime found Ace struggling to walk across the deck. Eventually he made it to the railing—a spot invisible to the night watch—and leaned against it, looking out into the dark cope in which the ship was settled. Finally he was alone. Finally he could cry.

The warmth of his tears swelled up in his eyes and careened down the sides of his face. He bit his lip to muffle his whimpers in a desperate attempt to hide his sorrows from any prying ears. The boy didn't want anyone to see him like that. As sure as he was many others did the same, his pride wouldn't allow him to mourn in public. But he had to let it out. Even being the type of man he was, he had to cry. That was _Marco_—his superior, his friend, his brother. He was one of the first to reach out to him when he was taken in by Oyaji. One of the only people Ace could open up to, Marco was just as much his family as Luffy and Sabo were, and just as much as Whitebeard still was.

Ace passed a trembling hand across his forehead and through his coal-black strands, brushing aside the sweat and dirt that had yet to be washed away. He lowered his head to allow the tiny droplets from his eyes to drip into the sea and wash away all evidence of his moment of weakness.

The pirate let his emotions run wild because he knew, come morning, he wouldn't have the chance.

* * *

Ace took a deep breath as he stared out at the lush greenery of the island and ignored his body's silent screams for him to go back to the ship. He got permission from Whitebeard to begin his search and found many of the commanders eager to assist. It at least meant that they could cover more ground. Hopefully whoever found the first commander's rotting corpse didn't become too distraught; it was sure to be quite a gruesome sight.

Putting the dark wonderings of his mind behind him, he pressed into the forest. Each step had him biting the inside of his cheek, fighting back gasps as his legs throbbed under his weight. He knew he was in no condition to be out of bed but that wasn't about to stop him. If there was one thing Ace had, it was determination—or stubbornness, depending on how it was looked at.

It was a typical summer island with a beach, forest and remnants of some failed civilization. Apart from being chillier than most, it wasn't anything special. The pirate saw places like that all of the time and there wasn't much to take in, especially considering how used to travelling through nature he was. He grew up in a mountain forest and hung out in a dump—nothing surprised him.

Hours passed with no sign of the commander's remains. Ace's legs were almost like jelly under him and he didn't know how much longer he could hold out. If he didn't make progress soon he would have no choice but to turn back for the day; his agreement with Oyaji was that he wouldn't push himself too far.

The whole time he searched all he could think about was that damned Akainu and how he shoved Marco aside like he was nothing more than trash. He supposed that's all pirates were to the marines, though. Just the thought made weak flames rise to his shoulders in anger. Marco was more than that. They all were.

Amidst his internal rant he spotted something blue poking out through the dark green foliage of the forest. His brain froze and immediately he made a dash for it, ignoring his body's protests. But he didn't find what he expected. Instead of finding some remnant of his crewmate there was a large, pale-blue eggshell. While it was an interesting sight, it had him slumping his shoulders in disappointment. He had to wonder what hatched from it. Whatever it was, if the egg was that size he didn't want to meet the mother, especially with how beat up he was. So, keeping far from the broken shell, he pressed forward.

The next time he saw something peculiar he didn't get his hopes up. Once he noted a purple object in the grass he immediately dismissed it as a plant or flower or something equally mundane. But as he neared it his interest grew—along with his dread.

There were Marco's clothes. Ripped, tattered and covered in blood, he could do nothing but gawk at the worn articles so familiar yet foreign. He could see a charred hole in what he assumed was once the blonde's shirt. Smaller burn marks generously covered rest and everything was torn apart. Nothing was left of the body, though.

Looking back to the blue eggshell, Ace couldn't help but wonder if maybe that was the cause of his comrade's disappearance—if whatever _thing_ that egg belonged to decided that the commander's corpse would make a nice snack.

"Damn it!" Ace flung his fist into the nearest tree with not even half of his usual strength—a testament to the severity of his injuries. He clenched his jaw as his mind supplied him with graphic images of what might have happened. He couldn't help but imagine the partially-rotted flesh of his dear friend being burned away by stomach acid. Were it not for his injuries, he would have chased the beast down to exact bittersweet revenge.

With the release of a shuddering breath, he tried to calm himself. Nothing good came from getting angry. It was his temper that got him hurt in the first place—that got Marco _killed._ It wasn't some dumb bird or snake that was to blame. It was him.

Quiet, soft, almost-inaudible moaning met his ears. Fist still against the tree, Ace twisted his torso around in search of the culprit. The only thing there aside from the lush greenery that engulfed him was the hatched blue egg. He narrowed his eyes and watched it cautiously but when nothing happened he sighed and scratched his head. _I'm paranoid._

Then he heard something more muffled than before. He couldn't make it out. As Ace steadily moved to near the large, blue eyesore, he tried to peer inside it. Closer and closer he got, shoulders tensed in case whatever it was decided to attack. He readied his flames.

When he finally got close enough to see inside the shell he froze. He thought he would find a small animal of some kind rummaging around in there. What he did not expect was to find a tiny, bare child sleeping at the bottom.

The little boy looked to be only a few years old and stirred slightly in his sleep. His skin was coloured ever so slightly, preventing him from blending in with the pale of the egg. What was most shocking was that Ace thought him familiar, if not for his features then for his unexplainable hairstyle that so closely resembled a certain tropical fruit.

* * *

**A/N: I'm horrible at adding drama to stories T^T But I tried. Hope that wasn't too over-the-top for you guys. Or predictable. Okay, scratch that, it was VERY predictable. Well, I did my best. Anyways, tell me what you think and if you would like me to continue writing it and I'll see you either next update or when I post a new chapter of one of my other stories :) And if you're wondering why it's listed as 'family' and not 'friendship' it's because I thought it was more appropriate seeing as the Whitebeard pirates refer to Newgate as their father and call each other their brothers.**

**Adieu~**


	2. Legend Has It

**Third update in 2 days. I'm working pretty fast, huh? I'm so happy you guys like it :) Thanks so much for the reviews! Hope to hear from you all again and I hope this chapter is up-to-par!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned One Piece it would turn into a train wreck of fluff and sap. So it's a good thing I don't.**

* * *

Looking at the blonde boy resting within the eggshell, Ace wiped a stressed hand through his wavy strands. His eyes were still enlarged as he tried to figure out just what he was seeing. He knew it couldn't be real. There was a _human child_ lying in a _giant eggshell_. It had to be a hallucination of some kind—perhaps brought on by blood loss from his injuries. Or maybe he was crazy. It didn't matter; all that he needed to know was that something was very, very wrong.

Ace contemplated walking away from it—forgetting everything he saw. It would be so simple. When he went to turn around, however, he found himself moving to once more look inside the eggshell. He growled low in his throat as guilt welled in his chest, looking at that sleeping face. It looked so much like…

He swallowed. One thing he needed to confirm was whether what he was seeing was real or not. Once that was out of the way he could freak out or smash stuff or do whatever else he wanted. So, cautiously, he reached inside the egg. Fingers brushing against the side of the boy's face, he realized all too quickly that he was real when he made contact with skin. The pirate didn't have time to dwell on that, though, when he felt how cold he was.

Ace bit his lip. There was a strong breeze that day and the air was already a bit chilled, despite it being a summer island. While he could maul over his discovery all day he knew it wouldn't be good for the kid to stay out in that weather—naked, no less.

The freckled man resigned himself to look for something to wrap the child in—to warm him. To his dismay it seemed that there were no large-leafed trees or shrubs around, nor were there any big animals for him to skin—not to mention how long it would take for him to prepare a pelt for use. He didn't want to carry the kid bare, though; the temperature dropped near the shore and it wouldn't be good to bring him as he was. Leaving him there to go get something from the ship was out of the question—no telling what dangers lied in that forest.

Begrudgingly the pirate turned to his only option—the purple, black and blue materials scattered across the ground. He hated himself for doing so. But that kid… he looked so…

Shaking the thought off, he gritted his teeth and shut his eyes as he marched over to the charred remains of his crewmate's clothes and snatched the shirt from its place amongst the foliage. Without wasting so much as a second he spun back around and dropped the material onto the child's bare form.

The pirate gave the boy one last, hard look in the form of a glare. He studied his features over and over, trying to rid a certain thought from his mind. When he failed he brushed it off and bent down hesitantly, wrapping his arm around the kid's form, allowing his fallen brother's shirt to cradle him in warmth as he did so.

With the cloth securely trapping in the boy's body heat, Ace rose and thought it best to raise his own temperature in the hope that, with the make-shift blanket there, it would get rid of the chill on his skin faster. As he did so he saw the blonde snuggle closer in his sleep, likely drawn to the warmth.

The freckled man began to chew on his bottom lip. Just what the hell was he doing? He couldn't go picking up strays like that. And what if he wasn't even human? He was in a damn egg! Being part of the strongest pirate crew on the sea he saw his fair share of strange creatures, especially in the New World. He saw beasts that could transform and disguise themselves as something they weren't. There were even beings that resembled humans yet weren't. What if the kid was one of those? Or—better yet—what if 'mommy' noticed he was missing? Something had to have laid that egg and it likely wouldn't be too happy to see that its offspring was MIA.

Ace groaned. Nothing he thought could stop his legs from moving forward. Even though all of those things were a possibility, there was also a chance the kid was abandoned. The egg wasn't in a nest. It could have been dropped or taken from its parent. Or maybe he was crazy. Either way he tried to rationalize his discovery, it didn't matter; his semblance to a certain fruit was enough to guilt him into bringing the mystery-child along.

During the long trek back he managed to bump into Thatch. The redhead was off on his own search for the missing commander and was quick to notice the younger pirate's presence.

"Oi! Ace!" he shouted with a wave as he jogged over.

Ace turned his head in acknowledgement but kept trekking forward, not wanting to delay his return to the ship. He needed to show the kid-thing to Oyaji—figure out what to do. Thatch didn't seem to mind, though, because he quickly caught up and acted as though he didn't notice his crewmate's haste.

"How's the search? Haruta and I have been looking all over the damn place, but…" He trailed off. "I just wish I saw where he landed." Silence fell as they took quick strides back towards the shore, getting nearer to the treeline. "What about you? Any luck?"

The freckled youth gripped the blanketed figure of the boy just a little tighter as he tried to figure out how to answer that question. Honestly, he wasn't sure himself. But when the answer finally did leave his mouth he could have kicked himself for what he said. "I found him."

The fourth division commander was about to question him when he spotted the wrapped bundle in Ace's arms and came to a dead halt. It wasn't hard for the younger to figure out why; he said he found the first mate and yet the thing wrapped in his arms was far too small to be his body. If he had to guess, he would have thought that his friend assumed him to be carrying a _part_ of Marco. He could only imagine what images were playing in the head of the still-mourning commander. Still he didn't break stride.

Thatch raced up to him once again, much more frantic than before. "What do you mean? O-oi, that isn't…"

Ace tensed. "I just… I don't—damn it, Thatch, I don't know," he admitted in a panicked tone of his own. Unable to explain using words, he lowered part of the worn shirt so that it bunched on the boy's shoulders, revealing his blonde tuff of hair and light features. He dared not look at the redhead's reaction. "I'm not sure _what_ I found, but…"

"A-Ace, what…"

He could feel the commander staring at the kid, going through the same few stages of shock he'd already experience. How are you supposed to react when you see some brat who looks just like your recently-deceased best friend?

* * *

Ace and Whitebeard locked eyes, occasionally glancing at the little surprise the former brought home. Their stare-down had so far been their only form of communication since the commanders came back trailing behind Fire Fist with the kid in his arms. That was both due to Ace not knowing what to say and the old man being completely speechless.

Finally, Oyaji spoke up. "Who is this?"

The freckled pirate flinched under the question and turned to face the ground, feeling that all eyes were on him. He didn't know how to answer that. He wasn't sure himself. Earlier he blurted to Thatch that it was Marco but there was no way he could've known that. Everyone on deck saw the semblance the child shared with the first mate, including Whitebeard, but no one was bold enough to verbally announce it. They just lost the first division commander, so…

Taking a deep breath, Ace said the only thing he could. "I found him in the forest," he paused, "near Marco's clothes."

Whitebeard narrowed his eyes and then changed his focus to the boy wrapped up in a tattered cloth in his son's arms. He studied his features and, though it pained him to think, he could see very clearly who he resembled. But he wasn't sure what to tell his children.

"Uh," the freckled man started nervously, knowing that his next question wasn't going to be so well received. He had to ask, though. "Phoenixes can be reborn… right?" As soon as the words slipped from his mouth he felt the air grow cold. No doubt all of his siblings thought he was being insensitive.

"How could you—he's _dead_, Ace," Haruta declared in a bit of a shout, her voice shaky as her eyes welled up with tears.

Ace hung his head low as the uprising of his crewmate spread to others and they each began shouting at him in muffled, incoherent slurs. He allowed his bangs to fall in his face and instead focused on the small bundle in his arms that slept so peacefully—_alive_.

Haruta's words continued with more trembling than before. "I know it hurts," she stuttered out before her sobs grew stronger, "but we… He can't come back. H-he can't…" She couldn't hold back. Her tears fell freely as the crowd around her complained louder, feeling that their youngest brother was disrespecting their first mate.

The pirate in question tightened every muscle in his body as he listened to them, shutting his eyes tightly to try to somehow block them out. The more they said, the more he began to hate himself for asking something like that. But he really thought…

With a raise of his hand, Whitebeard had the crew fall into a dead silence. He looked at his young commander—his son—with a soft look foreign to anyone outside his crew. "According to legend, my boy," he answered with a firm nod.

Ace looked up at his captain hopefully, eyes doubling in size as he realized what the old man was implying. He pulled the blanketed child closer to his chest. "Then…"

Instead of giving his son a direct answer, Whitebeard decided to address the rest of the crew. "We'll keep him aboard until we find out more. In any case, we can't leave him here alone."

Mumbling and nodding in agreement, the crew set about returning to their duties such as watching for marines and searching the island for supplies, though not without hesitance. Few believed their younger brother's claims but most were still curious about the mystery-child.

The Yonko nodded to one of his nurses and she moved closer to Ace, holding out her arms. "Get some rest, Ace. You're still injured."

Ace shied away from the nurse, unwilling to let go of the tiny blonde after his father-figure reassured his most outlandish theory. Instead of giving him up to the woman he faced the old man. "Oyaji, can I… can I stay with him?" he asked with a pleading look in his eyes. If there was even a possibility that the boy was Marco—even if it was ridiculous—he wanted to be the one to help him out. Ace normally didn't put himself out like that, but it was his fault that battle three days ago turned so horribly wrong. He wanted to make amends.

Whitebeard looked over his son's face with a knowing expression. It was clear that he knew of the reason Ace wanted to keep close to the boy and he contemplated it in silence for the moment. "Alright, brat," he replied, watching as the youth's eyes lit up. "You take care of him."

Ace repeated those words in his head. It wasn't exactly what he planned—he wasn't good with kids—but if it could rid him of some of his guilt, he would do it without hesitation. And… Marco was always the one taking care of him. He was the 'big brother' of the crew and always had to look out for them all. He didn't know whether his idiotic theory was correct or not but he was determined to find out. Being his caretaker would be the quickest way to do that, even if it was probably a mistake. How often did he make Luffy cry when they were little?

* * *

As Whitebeard watched his son go below deck he went to rest his head on his knuckles and sighed. In a matter of three days he saw many of his men fall, among them his most trusted first mate and one of his first crew members to ever join. He bore witness to his many sons and daughters breaking down, mourning their losses, wondering if they could ever recover from the battle. And then, after all of that tragedy, his youngest son brought home a small sliver of light that might brighten his children's days.

He just hoped it wasn't a mistake.

* * *

**A/N: How was it? :D I find it so weird to be writing Marco as a kid... Just so weird. But hopefully you guys are liking it!**

**To my lovelies~**

**Jellyfish-Chu: I will! Hope you enjoyed :)**

**buslimpan: I found it funny too, hence why I just HAD to write it XD Well I've written a few chapters after this and... yeah... Marco's VERY different. But the same, in some ways. But... can't say any more. **

**Sealing Mistress: Awe, I didn't intend to make anyone cry XD Sorry! And that's okay ^^**

**Vergina-spva: I will! Nope, I haven't dropped any of my stories, it's just I don't like to force myself to write them, so sometimes a story will have a while before it's updated and it normally ends up being ****_Skip_****. I've been trying to work on it but I haven't gotten very far... And ****_Imagined Life _****was updated a few days ago :)**

**Guest: This isn't during Marineford. In fact, it has nothing to do with it. They just got ambushed by the marines. If you read the 2nd scene of the first chapter, I explained what happened there. Hope that helps :) To put it into better perspective, Luffy is 16 and Ace is 19.**

**azab: I just love it because it creates some awkward situations XD Lol you wrote a story like this? I've only read the stuff you asked me to beta ^^**

**Kitsune Foxfire: You would think that would be the question. But nope, they're still wondering if it is Marco. Kind of slow, aren't they? I mean who else has that hairstyle? :P**

**Mittens919: Well here it is! Hope you like :)**

**shimmering shadows: Thanks so much for reviewing even though you're not used to it! I'll be sure to continue so long as you guys like it ^^**

**Gundam-grrl: I will :)**

**Guest (2): I will~**

**spoons-are-evil: Hehe it's a weird concept, but from the moment I thought up the plot I was like "I HAVE to have him hatch from an egg" and, well... that was that. Lol I feel sorry for Marco too XD Yep, it has a similar premise to ****_Resolve_**** but don't worry, the plots will end up very different :) Yep, but just remember that it wasn't Marineford, kay? Lol honestly I have WAY too many ideas. Seriously, I have 17 amnesia fic ideas, 8 going to another world ideas, 5 psychological thrillers, 10 tragedies, 18 romances... And I'll never be able to write them all.**

**WeissDragon: Hehe glad you like ^^**

**Akashica: Yep! :D**

**Son Goshen: Lol it was pretty predictable XD I always thought of the whole 'reborn from their ashes' thing to be eye-roll inducing, not to mention even more nonsensical than hatching from an egg. I just didn't like it so I didn't bother with it. Besides, it was just to open the story so something 'magnificent' wasn't really necessary. Hope you like it anyways :) Yep, there are going to be a lot of... amusing little incidents occuring. But I'll save that for later. **

**(Well, hope you guys enjoyed! As long as you like it, I'll keep writing ^^ But for now I'm going to raid my fridge. Yup. Adieu~)**


	3. A Place of Food and Speculation

**Hello lovelies! I'm here with the next chapter :D Oh, and my profile is officially up-to-date so if you're ever wondering how far I am with working on something you can go there. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Is this really even necessary anymore?**

* * *

The second commander of the Whitebeard pirates sat scowling at the bed in his private quarters—or, more specifically, the runt on top of it. Arms folded and legs crossed, he was not pleased. Sure he accepted care of the brat but the more he thought about it the more he felt like it was a bad idea. Ace hated children. A lot.

After reviewing the day's events more thoroughly, he found that his little theory that the first mate was reborn was even more ridiculous than it seemed at the time. When a devil fruit user died their ability left them, right? So even if, according to legend, phoenixes could be reborn, it likely didn't apply in the case of a devil fruit user. He did hear rumours about a supposed Yomi Yomi no Mi, though…

Ace was brought from his thoughts when the strange little child on the bed began to stir. He held his breath as he watched the boy flip onto his back and give a tired yawn, stretching his limbs out in all directions. It appeared after two hours he was finally waking.

The blonde sat up and rubbed his eyes, registering the change in environment. He didn't seem particularly surprised to find himself someplace new—or he didn't care. He didn't even notice the pirate gawking at him in a chair against the wall.

Ace swallowed and couldn't help what passed through his lips. "…Marco?"

The child heard the sound and turned to face the freckled man, his tired eyes ghosting over his form. When he finally realized what he was looking at, his eyes doubled in size and for a moment he looked scared.

Ace appeared calm but on the inside he was freaking out. The kid looked like he would bolt right out the door if he made any sudden moves and he wasn't sure what to do. How could he calm him down? It was clear that if he _was_ Marco he didn't remember him. And if he was alone up until that point then of course seeing some stranger would startle him.

The pirate raised two placating hands in a show that he wasn't planning on doing anything. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The fear never left his eyes. His gaze scurried across the room, likely looking for the nearest escape route.

That irritated Fire Fist. He wasn't patient enough to be dealing with a scared kid—especially when the kid was the alleged phoenix of the Whitebeard pirates. He had to keep his cool. He had to stay calm. Now how did he get Luffy's attention when they were little? _Oh, right._ "You hungry?"

The blonde seemed surprised by the question but Ace got his answer when his stomach involuntarily cried out for food. He looked down at himself and then back up at the pirate with confusion.

Ace couldn't help the tiny upward curve of his lips as he rose from his chair and grabbed a small, thin blanket from the end of the bed to wrap around the kid's shoulders. He seemed nervous of the contact but didn't pull away, fortunately for the fire user.

Izo was currently held up in his room sewing. After the heated conversation on deck earlier he offered to make some clothes for the little tyke, claiming that it didn't matter whether he was Marco or just a look-a-like—that he couldn't go around stark naked until they arrived at the next island. Until then, though, that blanket was his only cover.

Once the child gripped the ends of the blanket, holding it firmly around his shoulders, Ace backed up at held out a hand. The boy just stared at it like it was some alien object, wondering what he was doing. With a roll of his eyes, Fire Fist urged him to grab his hand. Eventually he did just that and slid off the bed, those large, wondering eyes gawking up at him.

The stare he was being given made him feel kind of weird. He looked a lot like Marco yet, being so young and with eyes that weren't almost fully lidded shut, he was very different. And the fact that he was completely clueless—with no idea what was going on—showed on his face.

Firming his grip on the younger's hand, he went to lead him out of the room. It quickly became apparent that he was going too fast for the other's tiny legs and he begrudgingly slowed down so as to not rush him.

Ace glanced down at the little boy and sighed, wiping the scowl from his face. He knew he should be a little more considerate, but with everything that happened he was just too stressed to do so. He was worn, mentally and physically, and should have been resting in bed. But… he was getting a bit hungry himself. And who knew how long it was since the kid's last meal?

The galley door flung open as it always did but the inside was almost barren. Only a few crewmembers were there, seeing as everyone else was in the sick bay, scavenging for supplies or keeping an eye out for marines. Thatch was there, though, eating as he always did after preparing everyone else's meals.

He was about to head over to the commander when he felt a second hand on his. Looking down he spotted the blonde child hiding behind his arm, as if to protect himself from the other pirates. Ace raised an eyebrow at that, noting that he certainly didn't _act_ like Marco.

"They're not gonna bite," he teased before stepping over to the table Thatch was sitting at. The boy seemed troubled by that but followed reluctantly, never letting go of Ace's hand.

When Thatch spotted them, he gave an unsure smile. "Hey," he greeted, giving them a lazy wavy as he grabbed another bit of food.

"Can you watch him while I grab some food?" Ace asked bluntly, not in the mood for idle chitchat. He waited for the redhead to look down at the child and nod, mouthing a quick "thanks" before shuffling away, leaving the boy without so much as an explanation.

The blonde looked up worriedly at the newest stranger, standing perfectly still beside the table as he tried to assess him. It didn't take long for Thatch to notice. He smiled down at the boy with sympathy, wondering how scared he was. Marco or not, the child was bound to be terrified and confused over the sudden change of environment. _Must be hard._

"Hey, there," he greeted in as friendly a voice as he could manage. It was actually a bit hard for him to do because of the recent events—he was worn down—but he managed. It seemed to work a bit because the boy's eyes shifted from hesitant to curious. "Are you hungry?"

The blonde replied with a shy nod.

Thatch's grin widened. "Then sit down. Ace will be back with the food soon."

The kid turned to the chair and stared at it. The seat came up to his neck and if he wanted to get on he'd have to let go of his blanket. Noticing his dilemma, the redhead scooped him up without warning and placed him gently on the chair's wooden surface. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw the surprise on the other's face. "Better?"

Again, the boy gave a bit of a nod.

Before too long Ace arrived back at the table with two trays, relieved to see that the kid was more relaxed than when he left him. He wasn't surprised, though. After being around Thatch for over a year he came to know him as someone who could—unexplainably—bring a smile to anyone's face, even if he, himself, wasn't in the greatest of moods. The guy just had a calming air about him—made you feel welcome, safe. Maybe Ace was biased, though, since he was the first member of the Whitebeard pirates to reach out to him.

The freckled pirate placed one tray in front of the boy and one next to him, then sat down on the empty seat. He wasn't actually supposed to eat the food in the galley—the nurse gave him a specific diet to follow to aid in his recovery—but since when did he listen to them? So, ignoring orders as usual, he took his first bite.

Absently he glanced at Thatch. The commander raised an eyebrow as he stared across the table. Curiosity getting the best of him, Ace turned to see what his friend was gawking at. It was a bit of a bizarre sight. The boy allowed the blanket to fall to his waist as he gripped the edge of the table and sniffed the different foods on his tray, not unlike a wild animal.

When he found something he liked, he ignored the utensils in favour of grabbing it with his hands. The boy gave it yet another experimental sniff, licked it, and finally took his first bite. He noticed the two staring at him, though, and slumped back in his chair shyly.

The two commanders just looked at each other blankly, wondering what to make of the behaviour. Neither understood it, but really, did they understand _anything_ about what was going on? Both wanted to believe that the kid was their fallen comrade, albeit very different from how he used to be. If they were willing to bet on such an outlandish theory then why should the kid's lacking table manners surprise them? And what did it matter, anyways? They were pirates!

After some awkward moments of silence, they shrugged it off.

"Are you gonna bring him to see Oyaji?"

Ace grunted in reply as he chewed the last of his meat. "He was hungry so I brought him here first."

Thatch nodded in understanding. "But… where'd you find him? Was he sleeping on the grass or something?" he asked, giving the blonde a curious look.

"Well…" Ace rubbed his neck, wondering how best to explain. "He was… in an egg."

"…An _egg_?" Thatch deadpanned.

"Yeah. A big, blue egg—or, well, the shell. It was like half the size of me."

"…Seriously?"

"Seriously," Ace confirmed with a curt nod.

Both fell quiet. They turned to the youngest of the trio to see him leaning over the side of his chair towards Ace, eyeing something on his tray. The freckled youth followed his eyes to an uneaten fish, then trailed his gaze back to the boy. "You want that?"

Those large eyes stared up at him hopefully.

Ace tried to stare him down but lost within moments, handing him the fish in defeat. While he was usually protective of his food he knew he could always grab more if his insatiable hunger wasn't satisfied. Besides, the kid seemed to like fish—a lot.

"So did you find out yet?" Thatch asked, thickening the mood with his tone.

Ace turned to him questioningly, met with narrowed eyes.

"Is he Marco?"

He sighed and dropped his head into his palm, resting his elbow lazily on the table. "The hell should I know?"

The redhead's shoulders sagged and his earlier depression returned. He was just starting to lighten up, too. "Can't tell?"

"How am I supposed to? I mean, yeah, he looks like him, but how am I going to prove it one way or another?"

"True…" Thatch's voice failed as he folded his arms, eyes resting on the kid eating the fish, deep in thought. There had to be some way to tell, right? But how? If he was 'reborn' as the fire user claimed then his tattoo would be gone and so would any other distinguishing features, such as any scars he had. Then it hit him. "Does he have his ability?"

Ace's eyes widened and he suddenly wanted to kick himself for not thinking of it sooner. In order to be reborn he would have retained Marco's abilities—or, more specifically, his regenerative powers. But testing that wouldn't be so easy. What if they tested it and he didn't have it? Intentionally causing the boy harm when he was already weary of them wasn't the smartest idea. Even if he did have the ability and healed they would still lose his trust.

Getting him to transform would be hard, too. While he seemed to understand what they were saying, there was no guarantee he would listen. And how would they tell the difference between him simply ignoring the request and actually not having the ability?

Ace dropped his head onto the table with a loud _thud_. He groaned his annoyance, feeling that the whole thing suddenly got twice as complicated as before.

Life liked to fuck with him.

* * *

**A/N: Poor, poor Ace. Anyways, what do you guys think so far? This is basically the end of the opening for the story. There will be at least 20 chapters so while it won't be as long as ****_Resolve, Divide, Imagined Life _****or****_ Within, _****it'll still be decent. Also I'd love to hear any theories you have or what you liked/disliked about the story. I'm open to whatever input you can give ^^**

**To my lovelies~**

**buslimpan: Yeah, I just thought it would be weird for everyone to just accept it, you know? Glad your enjoying ^^ The beginning will be kind of heavy but eventually it'll lighten up, I promise!**

**person: Glad you think so :D**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Well, to be fair, Ace never told them where he found him or that he was in an egg XD But you're right, they're kind of dense. Blame grief :P Sadly, mini-Marco won't be very interesting until around chapter 6. You know me and my slow starts...**

**Akashica: Exactly XD**

**Ujvari: Glad you like ^^ He's awake now! :D I would answer those questions but I'd be giving you guys spoilers so I'll keep my mouth shut :P **

**Guest: You will find out soon, I promise :)**

**azab: Yep. They're supposed to be born from ash but... I didn't really want to go with the usual method :P Ah, I see. It sounds pretty interesting, though, so maybe one day you should rewrite it ^^**

**Guest (2): Just for you, I'll be sure to give the story a healthy amount of fluff XD**

**Vergina-spva: And now you know :D**

**Son Goshen: Oh yes, a big headache. Especially in chapter 5. But we'll get to that later. Lol yep, it's going to be a very interesting adventure. At least... I hope it will. Not sure if my writing abilities are up for this one, but I'll try! **

**spoons-are-evil: Wouldn't it?! Yes he would be XD On the bright side, at least it's unlikely that he'll try to kill Marco :P Now that you put it that way, I'm starting to wonder how such a random idea popped into my head o.o Hehe let's just say he'll be an interesting child to take care of later on ;) I know, I start way too many things. And I haven't given up on any of them or anything, which is good, but I seriously wonder sometimes how I'm able to keep all of the stories going. Worst part? I started another one! That you guys won't be able to see for months. But it's mainly to practice a different writing style, so I suppose it doesn't count. Either way... way too much going on at once XD Kinda scared to see how busy I'll be when school starts back up in September.**

**Guest (3): Here's an update!**

**(And that, ladies and gents, is that. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to ponder how to write two of the same character into a story without confusing the hell out of people. Adieu~)**


	4. Confirmation and Contemplation

**Nothing to really say to you guys... oh! WeissDragon made some fanart for the story :D You can find the link on my profile. Enjoy~**

**Disclaimer: This really isn't necessary anymore... I saw sliced pineapple at the grocery store today and I was like "No! MARCO! D':"**

* * *

Ace stopped at the door that led to the main deck. He looked down at the small child holding his hand, thinking that it was best he warned him about Oyaji. Though he'd taken meeting Thatch in stride, Whitebeard was large and intimidating to even the bravest of men. He wouldn't be surprised if the kid took one look at him and ran.

Crouching as low as he could manage, Ace looked into the other's blue eyes. "I'm going to take you to meet Oyaji, alright?"

The boy tilted his head.

Grumbling, the fire user thought of how best to explain. "He's really big and strong but he's nice; he won't hurt you. He's like a father to us." He paused to gage the kid's reaction. "Don't be scared, okay?"

The blonde gave a hesitant nod.

Satisfied, Ace hopped to his feet and grabbed a hold of the younger's hand, pulling him out onto the main deck. They stopped in front of the captain's chair and looked up at the old Yonko who was ignoring his nurses and continuing to down a bottle of ale, leading them to throw their arms up in exasperation and storm away.

The man looked to his son and greeted him, then turned to the tiniest person aboard the Moby Dick. Immediately the child flinched under his gaze and fled to hide behind the second division commander. Whitebeard didn't mind; he just smiled at the boy with understanding.

"Come here," he commanded with a firm yet gentle tone.

Slowly the boy came out of his hiding place and stepped hesitantly forward, shaking a little under the Yonko's intimidating stare. Without warning he was hoisted into the old pirate's arms, letting out a squeak of surprise when he came to land on the man's lap.

"Gurarara," Whitebeard laughed, amused by the kid's confusion. He used one of his massive hands to gently pat his blonde tuff of hair reassuringly. It seemed to calm him well enough because he stopped trembling and simply looked up at the Yonko with curiosity. "Now let's find out if you're Marco, brat."

The boy tilted his head, clearly not understanding.

Ace watched the ordeal with his arms crossed, surprised at what his captain said. Apparently he figured out a way to tell when Ace had failed. He was eager to see what he had in mind. If he had to guess, it had something to do with his ability. How did he plan on making him use it, though?

"Ace," Oyaji called. The freckled pirate jolted at the sound of his name and stood at attention. "Get a fish from the kitchen."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Just do it, brat."

Rolling his eyes, Ace did as he was told. Less than three minutes later he returned with a large chunk of cooked sea king meat in his hands. "This is all that's left," he declared as he tossed the piece to his captain and returned to his earlier position leaning against the mast, eager to see what his father-figure had in store.

As soon as the scent reached his nose, the boy's focus was on the meat, his mouth watering as he leaned towards the food. He was so focused on it that he didn't notice Whitebeard's grin.

"You want this, boy?"

The blonde turned to look the Yonko in the eyes and gave an energetic nod.

Oyaji's grin widened. "You can have it if you show me your flames," he stated, watching the boy's face as he contemplated it. "I won't hurt you," he added when he saw a bit of hesitation.

Seconds later the child's body was engulfed in a blue inferno that Ace recognized all too well. His eyes widened as he watched flickers of white and yellow dance across the tiny arms of the child he brought back from the forest, not looking away once as he hurriedly snatched at the meat he was offered, immediately biting into it. Ace was speechless. It was really that easy?

Whitebeard's grin softened into a loving smile as he watched the boy eat. "Welcome back, Marco."

Once Ace's shock settled he was immediately filled with relief. He was right. But he would save the celebration for later; first he had something to ask his captain. Turning to face the old man, he stepped forward. "How'd you know that would work?"

Newgate chuckled. "I was with him when he first ate the fruit, brat."

Ace blinked a few times. "…What do you mean?"

Oyaji turned his gaze to the boy sitting on his lap as he recalled it. "Zoan-types inherit the instincts of their animal forms."

Fire Fist nodded, taking a sudden interest in the story. "I know."

"When Marco first ate the fruit he acted defensive and would steal his crewmates' fish and bread—even tried to steal Jozu when he was training his ability. Gurarara!"

After a few moments of silent staring, Ace couldn't help but burst into laughter, imagining the first mate trying to act stealthy in order to steal from other people's plates. Sure Ace did that all of the time, but Marco? No—he couldn't picture it. It was even harder to envision him trying to take Jozu to some nest or something because he was shiny. Every time he tried he just giggled more.

It was nice to finally laugh again.

Still, the captain's story explained the kid's weird behaviour when he ate—or, well, _all_ of his behaviour. If Marco, who was normally very level-headed, acted like that before he got used to his devil fruit then he could only imagine the strange things that were in store for the boy. He'd have to prepare himself for anything.

Pushing that aside, Ace allowed himself to smile fully for the first time since the battle three days earlier. Knowing that Marco returned, regardless of what form he was in, allowed Ace to wash away some of his guilt. He still felt responsible for the first mate's current state but was thankful that he was at least alive. It didn't matter how different he was.

The little blonde finished the last of the meat and began licking the juice and grease off his hands. He gave Whitebeard another glance, that time smiling as he tried to grip the giant man's hand. He licked the appendage as if to show thanks, then turned expectantly to the Yonko. He seemed happy when the old man moved to ruffle his hair.

"Get going, brat," he ordered with a grin, not at all surprised by the boy's action.

Marco held tightly to his blanket before sliding off the giant man's legs, stumbling over to Ace much more casually than before. He held out his hand, waiting for the pirate to take it as he'd been doing ever since they 'met'.

Ace looked down at him blankly. He wondered about the hidden meaning behind the silent interactions of the child and captain but decided it didn't matter, brushing the boy's weird behaviour aside to grip the tiny palm reaching out to him. Now that he knew it was true, it was pretty hard to believe that the strange kid beside him was the same aloof older brother he'd known for so long.

* * *

Ace knocked thrice on the door of the sixteenth division commander's room. For a moment everything was silent. Then the sounds of muffled shuffling came from inside. Ace and Marco turned to each other, then back to the door as it creaked open to show Izo in his usual pink kimono. Contrasting the usual, his hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which is how he often kept it when he was working on something.

"How's it coming on the clothes?"

"Impatient as always," Izo mused as he stretched and moved to the side, allowing them in.

"Sorry," Ace apologised, rubbing his neck sheepishly.

"It's fine," he said in a tired voice as he shuffled over to the bed and started moving around different cloths. "I've finished one set, anyways."

Ace turned to the boy who was watching with great curiosity as different materials were being thrown on the floor. "Hear that, Marco? You'll actually have something to wear," he stated with a grin. With how elevated Ace's mood was, you would think he was in perfect health.

The blonde nodded.

Izo froze in his search for the clothes he made to look at the second division commander with narrowed eyes. "Marco?" He heard the earlier conversation between the fire user and captain but didn't believe it himself.

Ace realized his mistake and tried to explain. "Yeah, well… Oyaji kind of proved it was him."

The okama's brow furrowed. "How?"

"Had him use his ability," he elaborated.

"So he's…?"

Ace nodded.

Izo stared wide-eyed at the little blonde who was studying the room, sniffing the fabrics that landed near him. It was hard to believe but he trusted his captain fully and knew the old man would never lie. Ace wasn't one to tell non-truths either—at least not when it was important.

At first the commander couldn't take his eyes off the boy. Eventually, though, it sunk in and he got used to it, returning to his search for the first mate's new clothes. "Aha!" he exclaimed as he pulled a purple shirt and black pair of shorts from the pile of unused material.

The crossdresser spun and knelt down in front of the confused blonde, holding the shirt up to eye it and see if it was the right size. "Can you take off the blanket?"

Marco looked questioningly to Ace, wondering what to do. The fire user simply nodded and the blonde complied, dropping the fabric onto the floor and immediately shivering. It was no wonder, either; once you reached the water the air got pretty chilly, so it naturally wouldn't be very comfortable if you walked around naked—especially if you were a phoenix and craved fire.

Sympathizing with the trembling boy who was standing there as Izo took measurements, Ace crouched down and pulled him closer as he raised his body temperature, hoping it would keep him from getting too cold.

It seemed that something clicked in the boy's head when he felt the air around him warm because his eyes went wide and he stared at Ace without moving.

"It fits!" the crossdresser shouted happily before gently grabbing Marco's arm and sliding it into the sleeve. He did that for the other and then slipped it over his head, happy to see that it was the right size as he moved to do the same with his undergarments and shorts.

When he was finished, Izo stood with a proud sense of accomplishment as he looked over his work, nodding his approval. "Now you won't be cold," he said to the boy with a smile before turning to the older. "You're in charge of taking care of him, right?"

Ace blinked. "How'd you know?"

"Thatch," he replied.

Ace rolled his eyes. "Of course," he sighed.

"I'm working on a few more things for him to wear. It looks like we're going to be here for a while so waiting until we stop at another island is out of the question. I'll drop them off in your room when I'm done."

The second division commander nodded his understanding before taking the young blonde by the hand, muttering a word of 'thanks' and leaving the room. As he stood outside the door he pondered what to do next. All of his crewmates were doing their duties—which he was not allowed to do, both because of his injuries and because he recently became the guardian of the little phoenix beside him.

He looked down to see the boy playing with his new shirt, likely studying it by feeling the material between his fingers. "Wanna go back to the room?"

* * *

For the past fifteen minutes since they entered his quarters, Marco had been gawking at Ace. The latter was trying to relax on his bed but it became increasingly difficult with those large, blue eyes staring at him like they were.

"What is it?" he asked, hiding the irritation in his voice. Whether he was the first mate or not, constantly watching Ace was creepy. Fire Fist had to remember, though, that he was just a kid so he couldn't lose his temper like he was so prone to.

The boy looked at him as though he should already know why he was staring.

"You're going to have to tell me if you want something."

Marco seemed to consider that as he lifted his hand and watched it, then looked between it and Ace. When he saw that the pirate still didn't get it he allowed his hand to burst into blue and yellow flames. Being regenerative and not destructive, they produced no heat. Knowing this, the boy nudged Ace's arm, trying to get him to understand.

Suddenly it clicked in the freckled man's mind and he raised his own hand in a similar fashion, lighting it in a veil of orange and crimson. He supposed the boy realized his ability when he raised his body temperature earlier. "Is this what you wanted to see?"

Marco relinquished his flames and stared in awe at the fire before him that actually produced warmth. He grabbed the hand with his tiny fingers and pulled it closer to study it.

Before Ace knew what was going on, the boy was hopping onto the mattress, landing beside him. The blonde lay down in crook of his arm, snuggling closer for extra warmth as he drifted off.

Ace's eyes widened as he took in the kid's actions, wondering why he was suddenly affectionate. Sure he clung to him earlier in the day but he never got that close. It was weirder still knowing that he was Marco. The first mate was calm, collected and loved his crewmates like they were family but never did Ace see him getting close to someone.

His thoughts shifted as he watched the blonde's breaths even. The way they were laying then reminded him of when he and Luffy were little; that brat clung to him all the time, especially after Sabo died. As he thought more, he realized that Marco didn't really have anyone to rely on. He was a child born from an egg with no family to protect him, regardless of who he was before.

Placing a soft touch to the boy's shoulder, Ace sighed. "We'll take care of you," he declared. _Just like you always took care of us._

* * *

**A/N: It's so... so sappy e_e I'm sorry *bows* But I hope you still liked it! Please leave a review and tell me what you think! Oh, and for the Jozu part, WB was referring to his ability to turn into diamond.**

**To my lovelies~**

**Ezaria: And now you know :D I was tempted to make him fight for the food, actually XD**

**azab: Glad you like!**

**Gundum-grrl: Well if you remember his childhood with Luffy, he DID try to kill the poor kid XD And he didn't get good at dealing with him until later, but that's why Ace is tolerant of Marco and not like how he was growing up :)**

**spoons-are-evil: He's about the size of a 6-year-old :) As for speaking, well, we'll get to that later. Isn't it? The whole reason I decided to write this story was because I found the idea weird. Yes, it is a bird thing. I felt like poking fun at him being a phoenix :P Glad you like~**

**Son Goshen: Really? That's horrible! Children... that's why I'm glad I can't have any e_e Glad you like!**

**Guest: Thanks! To Be a Boy is finished :) Well, other than the epilogue, but that'll be a while.**

**buslimpan: That'll be coming up around chapters 6 and 7 ^^ **

**Guest (2): Isn't it?! XD Here's an update!**

**ThePhobiaPhoebe: Really happy to hear that ^^ Same, I think Marco would have been really cute when he was little XD Hehe I know that feeling. Sometimes fanfics are just too distracting and I end up reading all day instead of writing... I really gotta work on that. Those are my two favourite pairings as well. I plan on writing more Marco/Ace in the future (in fact I'm working on one right now) so hopefully you'll enjoy those too :) Thanks! I'll be sure to update again soon!**

**Kitsune Foxfire: I'm happy you enjoyed ^^ This fic has so much fluff, I swear...**

**(Thanks for the reviews and I'll see you guys next time! Adieu~)**


	5. Wordless

**It's 5:30am, my dog has fleas, the heatwave is going strong, we're running low on food, I have to get up early - I'm clearly not in the greatest of moods. So, here's a chapter! Because if I can't be happy, at least someone else can.**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill.**

* * *

Ace stirred in his spot on the mattress as he felt something digging into his chest. It burned, agonizingly shoving into one of his bandaged wounds without remorse. He gritted his teeth and opened his eyes, met with a peculiar tuff of blonde hair. Blinking a moment, he waited as his memories came back to him. That was Marco. Marco came back—was reborn. He was alive.

The pirate was pulled from his thoughts when another wave of pain rushed through his torso. Biting back a whimper, he took a closer look at his front and was not at all happy to see the sleeping boy's elbow jabbing into one of his injuries. He shook him lightly but he did not wake.

"Oi, Marco," he muttered through his clenched teeth, met only with soft breaths. Groaning, he moved his right arm from under the child and gripped both of his shoulders, holding him close as he sat up. The blonde slid into his lap, giving Ace the relief he craved.

The moment seemed to be enough to rouse the boy because he blinked awake and yawned, rubbing the sleep from his tired eyes. After adjusting himself to the light of the room, Marco looked up questioningly at Ace, who glared back.

When did he fall asleep? He remembered that Marco drifted off and then… he supposed he had. There wasn't much else he could do at the time, seeing as the boy was laying on top of him, so it made sense. Still, the fact that the first division commander was using him as a bed hadn't quite sunk in. The blonde being as affectionate as he was made Ace feel a bit awkward.

His glare fell when the boy smiled at him, moving to crawl out of his lap and onto the soft mattress.

"Morning," Ace greeted, forgetting the whole mess with his injury. It didn't matter much. He stretched and yawned, deciding he had enough rest. Throwing his legs over the side of the bed, he rolled his shoulders and released them of their tension, picking himself up quickly after. Motioning to the window at the far end of the room, the fire user was shocked to see that it really _was _morning—sunrise, to be exact. That meant he'd been asleep for almost twelve hours.

Leaning over the rim of the open window, Ace sighed. Normally Marco would annoyingly wake them all a few hours after dawn but, well, that didn't happen anymore. He was always the first up, too. Maybe it was because of his devil fruit ability but as soon as the first rays of light hit the ship the first mate would rise from bed and begin his duties. Then about three or four hours later he would proceed to drag Ace and Thatch out of bed—by their feet if he had to—because they certainly weren't morning people.

A tug on his shorts had Ace leaving his thoughts, looking down at the boy staring at him. That same first mate was currently stuck as a child. Oh the irony. But, well… Ace couldn't help but feel responsible. He was only like that because he tried to protect Ace from that damn Admiral's attack. Marco lost all of his strength, all of his memories and everything he was because his stupid little brother couldn't take care of himself. Hell, what would have happened to him if they hadn't gone searching for his corpse? They would have unknowingly abandoned him. Could he survive on his own? Could he even fight? If not, that forest likely would have been his grave—twice.

"You wanna see?" he asked.

The boy gave a firm nod and was hoisted into the air and held close to Ace's chest. He stared out the window at the oranges and pinks dancing against the cloud cover, his blue eyes darting from the sky to the island, the sea and back again.

"Sorry, Marco," Ace whispered.

The boy turned from the window to him, tilting his head curiously as he watched Ace's face. He didn't really understand, did he? He knew what the fire user was saying, but without his memories he wouldn't know what he was apologising for.

Ace swallowed. "It's because of me you're like this," he stated, biting his lip. "You don't remember Thatch or Oyaji. Hell, you can't even speak… and it's my fault. If I had just…"

He stopped when he felt the boy snuggle into him, resting his head on Ace's shoulder. After a moment he pulled himself away, smiling at the pirate as he wriggled out of his grip. Within seconds he was engulfed in blue flames, wings replacing arms. Before the other had a chance to move, Marco took off out the window, flying out of view.

Ace stood there, dumbfounded, as he took in what just happened. Once it finally soaked in, his eyes widened. "Oi! Damn it, Marco!" he shouted as he spun on his heel and headed out the door. What kind of trouble could a mini-phoenix get into?

* * *

Thatch gave a yawn as he shuffled into the kitchen to perform his usual duties. It was rare for him to be up so early but with everything that happened he hadn't gotten much sleep. After hours of restless tossing and turning, he decided he might as well get started on his work for the day. Seeing as so many people were injured, he knew he'd have to work harder to make up for them. A lot of the other cooks would be gathering supplies on the island that day, meaning that only a few would be left to cook.

The redhead was annoyed to see that there were tons of unwashed dishes lying around. He set about gathering them all and tossing them in the sink, feeling that getting started on them soon was for the best.

As he turned on the tap and waited for the water to heat, he absently glanced out the window. His eyes doubled when he saw a flaming blue bird heading his way. Quickly he opened the window only to be slammed into by the flying menace, falling back as the creature's weight shoved him to the ground.

Rubbing the spot on his head that met the floor, he slowly sat up and tried to figure out what just happened. Looking between his legs he watched as his attacker's form contorted and morphed, blue and yellow flames licking what was once feathers, replaced with skin.

"M-Marco?" he stuttered, his wide eyes looking over the form of the boy Ace brought back with him the previous day. Those flames—that transformation—confirmed his identity. He had yet to ask Ace about it but now there was no doubt.

The blonde turned to look up at him, a small smile adorning his face.

Thatch sighed. "Guess we know who you are now," he said, scratching his head. "Does Ace know you're here?"

Marco shook his head.

"Of course," he muttered with a roll of his eyes. He probably should have been the responsible one and looked for Ace to tell him he had his young charge but… he was likely still sleeping, right? So it didn't matter. He wouldn't even notice. "You hungry?"

The boy grunted with a nod.

Thatch gave him a lopsided smile before rising to his feet and dusting himself off. Shutting the tap, he walked across the room to the food storage and unlocked the door, promptly entering it. The boy followed behind.

Rubbing his chin, the cook wondered what he could give him to tide him over until breakfast. He wondered if he liked the same things as before. The first mate made a habit out of visiting the kitchen whenever Thatch did chores to keep him company. He would have a little something to eat and they would chat for an hour or so before the blonde went back on deck to resume duties of his own.

"How's fruit sound?" he asked as he looked around, realizing that they really were running low on supplies. Most of what was left was meat and he wasn't about to cook that.

After receiving the kid's approval, he grabbed a few fruits, washed and cut them then placed them on the counter, pushing a stool up.

With the boy eating his fill, Thatch returned to his previous task of washing the dishes, glancing periodically and his shrunken crewmate. The blonde went through the same procedure as before, first sniffing the food and then picking it up to examine it closer before taking a bite.

Smiling, Thatch tested the water and began his chores. _Can't believe Oyaji's right-hand man is the youngest person onboard._

* * *

Ace wouldn't panic. He wouldn't. Sure he just spent the last fifteen minutes on deck searching for the missing first mate, but so what? Marco was smart; he'd come back eventually. At least, that's what the commander kept telling himself. In reality he had no idea if the little brat would return. Hell, he didn't even know where he might have gone! All he could be sure of was that if he didn't find him Oyaji would have his head.

Why did he leave, anyways?

Slowing to a stop, Ace faced the floorboards as he contemplated that. He just up and left without warning. There had to be a reason—Marco wasn't exactly the spontaneous type. But… what was it?

The door behind him creaked open and he was met with a familiar voice. "There he is," it stated. "Oi! Ace!"

The freckled youth spun around, shocked when he was met with his redheaded friend who had a certain pineapple-like child sitting on his shoulders. Ace's jaw went slack. He just spent fifteen minutes looking for the brat and the whole time he was with Thatch. He'd be angry if he wasn't so embarrassed about not thinking to check with the cook. In the end, he could only blame himself.

Thatch waved him over and he complied, hurriedly rushing over to the pair. He eyed Marco, still a bit irritated. Then he turned to Thatch. "Why didn't you tell me he was with you?"

The commander sheepishly grinned at him. "Thought you were asleep," he answered simply. "I went to bring him back to your room after he ate but…"

Ace blinked. "Ate?"

"Yeah, he was hungry."

Sighing and slamming his palm into his forehead, he internally kicked himself for being so dense. They'd been asleep for almost twelve hours—of course he'd be hungry. Well, now he knew why he suddenly left. And he felt like an idiot for flailing around on deck that whole time.

"Something wrong?" Thatch inquired, raising an eyebrow at Ace's dramatic response.

"No, just… forget it." He turned his attention to the little blonde resting on Thatch's shoulders. "Don't take off without warning like that, alright?"

The boy's face sagged as though he was being scolded. "Sorry," came a small, high-pitched voice.

Both commanders' eyes widened.

"Y-you can talk?" Ace questioned with a bit of a stutter.

Marco gave a shy nod.

He never even considered that. All that time he thought that there was no chance of him being able to speak. Marco only died around four days ago. His child self would be, at most, three days old so he shouldn't… As Ace thought about it more, he started to realize things. Marco could understand what they were saying from the very beginning. Not only that, he was already the size of a four or five-year-old. Nothing was adding up. The boy was—for certain—Marco. There was no doubting that. But would an egg have even hatched by then? _No_. Yet there he was, able to even speak.

The freckled pirate groaned. Mauling over it was getting him nowhere. "You could have said that sooner, you know."

"He's pretty shy," Thatch chimed in.

"Yeah, but if I knew he could talk I could have asked where the hell he was going!"

Thatch waved him off. "Minor detail," he said, likely just to get on the fire user's nerves.

Ace slumped back against the mast. Life just hated him, didn't it?

* * *

**A/N: And that is that. Think I'll finish writing chapter tomorrow... Or I would have if my damn dog didn't have fleas! Now? Cleaning. And giving flea baths. Oh what fun tomorrow will bring. *goes to sulk in a corner***

**To my lovelies~**

**Guest: That will happen many times throughout this fic, my friend XD As I stated before, I'm not going to post the epilogue until I post the first chapter of the alternate version, which will be when I'm about 5 chapters away from finishing either ****_Skip_**** or ****_Reverse_****. It won't be too long since I'm about 3/4 through****_ Skip_****.**

**buslimpan: I'm going to try for some more cute/funny moments throughout the story, so I hope you\ll enjoy! Chapter 7 is pretty entertaining hehe...**

**Guest (2): Not quite as a 'mother', but as a caretaker still, so in a way XD You're welcome~**

**Gundum-grrl: Glad you like! Here it is!**

**Trich: This chapter :D**

**Son Goshen: Good question :P But the fic'll be over when he's grown up again, so... a while. And he talks! :D That barber is awesome, seriously.**

**azab: Isn't he?!**

**ssspooky: This is the fluffiest fic I'm writing by far, I swear XD**

**Aimiko: I know how you feel :P**

**yukiko hyuga-chan: Glad you liked that part! It was my favourite to write ^^ Here's an update~**

**spoons-are-evil: When I was writing that scene I just pictured Marco seeing Jozu use his power and attempting to drag him to the crow's next and I was like "Totally adding that" :P In a way... he did XD That is a hilarious image. Seriously.**

**LuffyGirl: Really glad you like the story so far! Here's an update! And thanks for all the reviews - hope to see you around in the future :)**

**(That is all. I'ma sleep now my lovelies, so have a wonderful day and get your pets flea-treated. Because no one likes fleas. Damn menaces e_e Leave a review, please? :D Adieu~)**


	6. Thoughts

**I haven't written in a while... kind of been on a watercolouring binge. But I'll try to get some stuff done tomorrow! :)**

*****Classes start up September 7th. Starting then, I'll be taking a 2-3 week break from updating to adjust to this semester's workload. University comes first, you know? But I promise I'll be back with updates once I get used to it!**

**Disclaimer: Oh look, a butterfly.**

* * *

About a week and a half passed since the battle on the island. For some it felt much longer, seeing as they were unable to leave the infirmary. Most of the injured crewmembers were healed enough to move about by then, though, so they would be leaving the cove later in the day. It was about time, too—pirates didn't like staying too long in one place.

Word spread slowly about the blonde child's identity. After talking it over with Oyaji, the few who knew that he was Marco decided it was best not to announce it just yet, knowing full-well that if they did it would cause a commotion. Everyone would stare at him, talk to him and scare him. They didn't want that. He was still getting used to them. So they allowed their crewmates to figure it out for themselves. For the most part it was working; the ones who discovered the truth didn't bother the boy any more than they should have, instead just being a little friendlier.

That didn't bother Ace. What _was_ bothering him was something he couldn't quite put his finger on. There was just something about the little phoenix that seemed… off. That morning he could be found in the galley, eating breakfast with the kid and Thatch as usual. But he kept glancing at Marco, mauling over that which wasn't quite right.

"You keep giving him that look and you're going to scare him," Thatch teased from across the table.

The freckled pirate turned his glare to the redhead. With a sigh, he swiped a hand across his face. "Shut up, Elvis. I'm thinking." Though he said that, he knew the cook was right. He probably had a pretty creepy look on his face. But he couldn't help it; it was bothering him… whatever it was.

"About?" he inquired.

Ace glanced at the blonde who was quietly enjoying his meal, then leaned forward, eyes narrowed. "Doesn't he seem… different to you?"

Thatch blinked. "Well, yeah. We talked about that when you first found him, right? It's because—"

"Not that," the youth interrupted.

"Then what?"

He thought for a moment. How could he best explain? It wasn't really his personality he was referring to, nor was it his instincts. He'd already adjusted to those and they seemed almost natural to him after spending a week with the boy. What he was referring to was more… physical. "He looks… different."

"Different how?" the cook questioned. He really wasn't following.

Before Ace had a chance to elaborate, he spotted someone walk up to their table out of the corner of his eye. He closed his mouth and turned, met with Izo. The crossdresser had something in his hands—what appeared to be clothes. That was no surprise, seeing as he'd been making outfits for Marco during his spare time. It seemed the commander was enjoying it well enough and it meant they wouldn't have to buy the kid something to wear at the next island so where was the harm? But he was eyeing the child for some reason.

"Something wrong?" Ace asked, looking between the two. Marco seemed to be ignoring both him and the crossdresser in favour of eating. Well, he couldn't blame him for that; Thatch's cooking was pretty hard to resist.

"Well…" Izo's voice faded. Rather than finishing the thought, he crouched down and pressed his thumb and index finger to his chin, looking Marco up and down. He seemed to be searching for something.

Finally, when he caught the other commanders' stares, he decided to explain himself. Gesturing to the boy's shorts, then to his sleeves, he looked up at the two. "I just made these for him three days ago."

Ace and Thatch just stared blankly, pushing for the other to continue.

Sighing at their lacking attentiveness, Izo gently grabbed Marco's arm, careful not to startle him. The boy jumped a bit but quickly settled after seeing who was holding his appendage, using his free hand to continue eating. "This fit him when I made it but now it's starting to get too small. That's one hell of a growth spurt."

Suddenly something clicked in Ace's mind. He turned to Thatch excitedly. Finally he knew what was bothering him. "That's it!"

The redhead raised an eyebrow.

"Doesn't he seem taller to you?"

"Well, I guess, but…"

Izo decided to join in. "He's growing a lot faster than you'd expect."

"Exactly!" the freckled youth exclaimed. He was happy to hear someone agreed with him. "Don't you find it strange?"

Thatch crossed his arms and took a quick glance at the young phoenix, then turned back to his crewmate. "Now that you mention it…"

"See? Not to mention that he's like, what, the size of a six year old? But Marco died less than two weeks ago. It's—" Ace ceased his rambling when he felt a quick tug on his shorts. He turned to see the large, childish eyes of the first mate staring up at him questioningly. "What is it?"

"I'm strange?"

Ace blinked. He didn't actually expect a verbal reply. Since that first time Marco spoke, he hadn't said anything else. He just didn't seem comfortable with talking, for whatever reason. And they got used to that. But there he was, asking a question. Could that be called progress?

Giving the kid a bit of a smile, the fire user ruffled his hair. "It's not a bad thing." He turned to the others. "We'll talk about this later, alright?"

* * *

Somehow Ace found himself wandering the beach with the miniature blonde he was deemed the caretaker of. Something about the situation reminded him of his childhood, taking care of Luffy as his older brother. Thankfully Marco wasn't nearly as hyper as that monkey—else the fire user would have torn his hair out. He loved his little brother to death but did he really want to relive that, injured no less? No, he didn't. He was happy knowing that the brat was sixteen and a little—just a tiny bit—more mature than he was when they first met.

Though he wouldn't admit it, he felt refreshed playing the role of the older sibling again. He kind of missed being the responsible one. His crew was like family to him but he was one of the youngest members. Even holding the title of second division commander didn't mean much; he was still treated like the youngest. He didn't mind that. What he hated was that they all felt obliged to keep him safe. Marco died because of that. Maybe he could make it up to him by reversing their roles.

The boy was walking excitedly across the beach, looking around at the forest to his left and the sea to his right. He seemed to be enjoying himself, which brought a smile to the fire user's face. He figured that he'd let him explore the island a bit since they were leaving soon. Staying on the ship had become pretty dull for him, let alone a kid that age. They would be spending weeks on the Moby Dick before landing at the next island so a little time away did them both good.

Marco was crouched in the sand, staring at a shell of some kind. Seeing that he was fascinated by the object and didn't look like he was going to go anywhere, Ace decided to take a look around. He strolled closer to the edge of the forest and looked it over. Large, towering trees grew together amongst the dense greenery, brightly coloured fruit hanging from their branches. At their base grew an assortment of grasses and shrubbery, littering the forest floor in varying hues of green. The more he saw, the more he realized he never took a really good look at the place. The last time he entered the treeline he didn't pay much attention—too determined to complete his mission.

Last time he was there, he was searching for his brother's corpse. Turning back around to see the blonde fiddling with the shell, he couldn't help but grin. How did things turn out so messed up? Not that he was complaining; he couldn't' be happier. Marco being alive—child or not—was all he could hope for. And, well, he was an amusing kid. He was scared of the strangest of things—like teakettles and frying pans—yet seeing Oyaji, Jozu and the rest of the commanders no longer fazed him.

A hermit crap peeked out of the shell the blonde was holding. Startled, he immediately threw it and backed away, running to the safety of the fire user. He clung to Ace's shorts, eyeing the crab suspiciously.

Ace rolled his eyes, grin still held firmly to his face. 'Amusing' he was. But he couldn't help but wonder if Marco was like that as a kid or if it had to do with being reincarnated. Even though the boy was right there in front of him, it felt weird picturing Marco growing up—just like it did trying to imagine Oyaji when he was younger. Everyone was a kid at some point, though, and they were no exception.

"Scared?" Ace teased as he looked down at the boy huddled to his leg.

Something clicked in Marco's head. He furrowed his brow and stubbornly shook his head, pulling away from the pirate. Slowly he stepped towards the crab that was waddling along the miniature sand dunes of the beach, cautiously nearing it.

Ace couldn't help but laugh. He hated to admit it, but he was a bit like that when he was really young, back before he met Sabo and they started hanging around the Gray Terminal. Those weren't good memories, though, because in place of the teasing older brother Marco had, he had Gramps. That old man just laughed off his fears and would throw him into danger to 'toughen him up'. He was scarred for life thanks to the old guy. Garp did the same to Luffy, he recalled—throwing him into the jungle alone when he was just able to walk. The man was insane.

He was brought away from his thoughts long enough to see that the kid had picked the crab up once more and was glaring at it. After a bit of a staring contest, he stood and turned to Ace, holding it up triumphantly as if to prove he wasn't scared.

Ace rolled his eyes. That little brat was Marco, huh? It was hard to believe, seeing as the first mate always had an uninterested look on his face that said he saw it all. Nothing fazed him. But… he couldn't have always been that way. Maybe what Ace was seeing then was similar to how the blonde grew up initially.

Walking up to the boy, he patted him on the head, staring out at the sea. Ace plopped himself down on the sand and, after staring curiously at the older, Marco followed suit. For a while they were silent, the boy looking from the rolling tide to the small creature in his hand and back again. Eventually he set it down and watched with amusement as it scurried away.

"Do you like staying with us?" Ace asked, glancing at the blonde from the corner of his eye.

Marco turned his attention from the crab to his caretaker and blinked a few times. Eventually he smiled and nodded.

"We're going to be leaving today." As he said that he faced the boy, a bit surprised when he was met with childish eyes full of worry. Did he think they were going to leave him behind? "You're coming, too, you know."

As soon as those words left his mouth he felt the child press against him, giving him an appreciative hug. He still wasn't used to the affection, especially from Marco of all people, but he was adjusting. It didn't feel so awkward. Besides, kids were just like that, weren't they? Luffy was. And, well… taking care of Marco reminded him a lot of when he cared for Luffy when they were kids. It was… nice.

"Really?" the boy asked in that tiny voice of his.

Ace raised an eyebrow. "We're not going to leave you behind, idiot. You're family."

The blonde looked up at the pirate curiously. "Family?"

"Yeah, you're like… our little brother or something. And Oyaji is, well, Oyaji. Family," he reiterated.

Looking back out at the sea, Ace swore he felt the boy's grip tighten. Smile tugging at his lips, he wondered if he was allowed to feel so content with everything that happened. He shouldn't be after what happened to the first mate, but… Marco was still Marco and he couldn't bring himself to feel any other way.

* * *

**A/N: WAY too much fluff e_e I'll try to tone it down in future chapters... As usual, thanks for reading and please review :)**

**To my lovelies~**

**LuffyGirl: You'll find out next update :P**

**shadowmarialove: Glad you like!**

**ssspooky: I think this chapter answers your question ;) You're welcome~**

**azab: Indeed he is!**

**buslimpan: Yes you may. I kind of feel bad for Ace, especially with that I have planned for future chapters muahaha.**

**Trich: We shall see ;)**

**Holymagic: Lol I've imagined the same thing before :P I don't really bother to proof read anymore ^^; Yep, Izo is awesome!**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Actually, your take is more or less correct :P They're all idiots, to be honest.**

**Guest: Here's an update!**

**spoons-are-evil: Lol it's okay, I found it amusing XD I know how you feel. Every time I go to the grocery story with my friend she's always like "Gasp! They canned Marco! They're going to eat him!" Very glad you like it :) Indeed, elbows...**

**squishy: Yes he is :) I updated! But we're a good 10-15 chapters from the end.**

**kage kitsune 14: I think I mentioned in earlier chapters that he didn't remember.**

**(Well, there ya go. Now I'm going to raid the fridge. I'll leave you to ponder the chapter. Enjoy. Adieu~)**


	7. Breakfast

**I have no excuse.**

**Also: I'm on partial hiatus. Any updates I post will be on Thursdays until I return.**

**ALSO ALSO: I have a new MarcoAce/SaboLaw fic up called ****_Amidst the Heat._**** It's experimental so... check it out and tell me what you think, yes? *shameless self-advertising over***

**Disclaimer: Seriously, I'm not even going to bother trying to justify this. Read at your own discretion.**

* * *

Marco held tight to the rail of the ship, peeking over it to the slowly vanishing island in the distance. Turning to the water below, his eyes filled with wonder at the parting waves as they sailed.

Ace leaned on the railing beside the boy, resting his head lazily on his fist as he glanced between the child and disappearing land mass. They'd been there since they set sail fifteen minutes ago, simply taking in the scenery as they passed through the sea. He was too tired to do anything, not that there was much to do when you were an injured member of the Whitebeard pirates; Oyaji made sure his sons wouldn't have to risk straining their bruised and battered bodies, leaving the able-bodied to pick up the slack. No one minded because, were they the ones hurt, they would receive the same treatment. That's what Ace loved about the crew—the amount of care the crewmembers had for one another. It really was like a family.

Yawning, Ace felt his eyelids droop. That wasn't good. Narcolepsy aside, the pain medication he was on caused drowsiness. If he wasn't careful he might fall overboard, leaning over liked that. It wouldn't have been the first time.

"Marco," he called, catching the boy's attention, "let's head inside, alright?"

Not questioning the request, the blonde nodded and hopped off the rail, following closely behind his caretaker. He was led deep into the bowls of the ship to the familiar living quarters belonging to the second division commander. They spent much of their time there, seeing as Ace took a lot of naps. Sometimes it would be boring for the boy, but at the same time he liked getting away from the crowds of people abroad. They would stare at him a lot.

As the child passed through the doorway, he jumped when he heard a loud _thump._ Blinking, he stared with confusion at the unmoving form of his caretaker sprawled out in front of him, face hidden behind his hair.

Slowly he crept to the pirate's side, gawking at him curiously. He nudged the older youth's shoulder, once, twice. There was no response—no movement of any kind. Worry crossed the blonde's features and he shook him more fervently, hoping to rouse the man but receiving no response.

"A-Ace…?"

The boy's lips trembled as he crouched down and listened closely to the soft snores of the other. He… was asleep?

Blinking with wide eyes, the child parted the pirate's bangs, examining his calm expression as slow, even breaths passed his lips. Yeah, he was asleep. Relief washed over Marco as he sat back, allowing his tense muscles a chance to relax. Knowing that Ace was alright, he turned around and slumped against his caretaker's side, feeling tiredness wash over him as well.

* * *

With a groan Ace opened his eyes, rolling his shoulders as he felt his stiff muscles become mobile once more. Bleary eyes scanned the area. What was he doing on the floor? _Ah, right, narcolepsy._ He yawned before noticing the pressure on his side. Curiously he looked, met with a pineapple—er, _Marco._ Apparently the kid thought he might as well sleep against the pirate, seeing as he wasn't going anywhere. The boy was making a habit of that as of late. Ace didn't mind, though.

"Oi," Ace began, tapping the child's shoulder as he sat up, "time to wake up, kid." The small body slid from his waist as he sat up, plopping against the floor and causing the blonde to stir. He lifted himself from the ground, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he groaned. "Looks like we were out for quite a while," Ace noted, looking at the night sky through the window.

At the sound of his caretaker's voice, Marco snapped to attention, fully awake as he scanned the freckled man's features. "You okay?" he asked, voice small and full of concern.

Ace blinked. "Why wouldn't… ah." It was then that Fire Fist realized he neglected to explain his narcolepsy to the boy. What must he have thought when he collapsed on the floor? As he wondered, guilt swelled within his chest. He felt horrible, worrying the kid like that. "I'm fine," he assured. "Sometimes I just fall asleep like that. It's nothing bad."

The phoenix nodded at that, though the look in his eyes said that he didn't really understand. It was too much trouble to explain it, though, so Ace simply smiled at patted his head.

Ironically enough, the first mate was usually the one who found him when he had an attack on deck. He would sit with him, careful to make sure he wouldn't get stepped on when the crew rushed about for battle or that the commander wouldn't get thrown overboard during a storm. He really owed the man his life… on more than one occasion. The man really was like a big brother.

Fire Fist sighed. _No point in thinking about that now…_

Marco tilted his head curiously, silently wondering why the other suddenly looked so sad. He didn't ask.

* * *

Morning found the pirates in the mess hall as per usual, eating breakfast as they always did—or at least that was what they were _supposed _to be doing.

Watching the irritated faces of Thatch and Ace as they neared, Marco took a step back, finding himself against the wall. Unable to flee, he held the items in his hands closer to his chest, protecting them from the pirates towering above them.

The three glared at each other, never looking away. Thatch reached out, causing the boy to huddle the objects closer, and gestured for him to hand them over. When the phoenix refused, he sighed, shoulders slumping as he scratched his head. Never did the cook think he would have to deal with something like this. What to do?

"Look, we need those back, Marco." The blonde shook his head. "Don't be like that…"

Marco's glare deepened once more as he refused, causing small giggles to escape Ace's lips. The other two watched as Fire Fist covered his mouth, trying and failing to hold back his laughter. He just couldn't believe they found themselves in that situation. It was hilarious.

The pirate's chuckling quieted enough for him to notice Thatch eyeing him. "What?" he questioned as he caught his breath. "I can't help it!"

The redhead rolled his eyes before once more gesturing for the phoenix to return the stolen items, again to no avail. He really didn't want to have to use force, especially for such a small matter. Marco was easily frightened and he feared any less-than-gentle interaction between them would end badly.

Finally settled after his giggle fit, Ace smiled warmly at his charge and crouched down, meeting him at eye level. "Come on, give those back to Thatch." He had never seen the blonde give him such a cold look, even before he reincarnated, as he again shook his head. "Why not?"

Marco glanced at Thatch before returning his attention to his caretaker, features softening a little. "…He'll cook them."

Ace nodded, motioning for him to continue.

"And… eat them."

"That's what they're for," the cook stated with a sigh, receiving a scowl from the child.

"Murderer," Marco mumbled under his breath, causing the room to fall into a dead silence, the two others unsure of how to react to that.

After some time, Ace once more burst into laughter, bending forward to try to easy his newfound cramps. He thought it was something like that, what with all the strange new habits and instincts the first mate adopted since his reincarnation. It was amusing, albeit annoying at times. Still, he saw Marco eat eggs before his… _death_… so maybe he would get over it.

At least, that's what Fire Fist hoped.

"Look, Marco, they're not—" He was cut off when blue flames emerged, licking the child's skin as his arms morphed into wings and the eggs dropped into his newly-transformed talons. Immediately the bird flew passed the commanders and escaped through the window above the kitchen sink. "Oi!" Damn, did Ace hate that ability of his.

"He's heading towards the deck," Thatch stated as he and his crewmate spun around and ran through the doorway, down the hall and to the staircase at the end.

When they got there, they saw the flaming blue creature soar past them, landing at Oyaji's leg before transforming back, cupping the eggs with one hand and gripping the captain's pants leg with the other, using their father as a shield. The pair came to a dead halt in front of Whitebeard, looking up at the man as he raised an eyebrow.

"What's this?" Newgate asked, glancing between the hiding blonde and irritated commanders.

"He stole our breakfast," Thatch stated, pointing an accusing finger at the boy.

The Yonko's eyes trailed to his first mate and he caught sight of the two elliptical objects he held close to his chest. "Gurarara!"

The blonde stared up at the captain, a betrayed look on his face as Oyaji laughed. The Yonko ruffled his hair—a calming gesture that promised everything was alright—but it didn't look like the boy was too happy about that reaction.

"Return the eggs, Marco," Whitebeard commanded in a stern, yet soft, voice.

"But—"

"We don't waste food," the old man stated, smiling down at the child.

Marco hung his head in defeat, shuffling over to the commanders and holding out his hands. Oyaji had the final say on all matters, including that one, and no one questioned his orders. Even the reborn phoenix understood that. So, begrudgingly, he allowed Thatch to take the eggs from his hands, pulling his mouth into a taut line.

The look on the child's face was enough to make the commanders feel like the bad guys. As hilarious as the situation was to them, it was probably very real for the boy. He didn't really understand.

Motioning for Thatch to return to the kitchen, Ace knelt down in front of the boy, wrapping his fingers gently around the child's small shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Marco didn't reply.

"Come on, tell me," the pirate pressed, using a soft tone that he'd grown accustomed to over the last week. He noticed over their time together that the phoenix was easy to startle and therefore required a gentler approach than what Ace was used to using. Losing his temper wasn't an option and he always had to remember to be careful with his words. He was starting to adjust to it, it seemed.

After another few moments of silence, Marco took a deep breath, gripping the hem of his shirt. "…Am I food?"

An amused smile crossed the fire user's face. "What are you—" He cut himself off when he realized that the boy was serious, smile fading from his face. Well, he hatched from an egg so he could see how Marco developed that theory, but that wasn't how it worked. How could he explain that to the boy? "Of course not," he replied, clear disbelief in his voice. They were _actually _having that conversation. What a strange morning…

Marco's grip on his shirt tightened as he continued to face the floorboards, scrunching up his face. "But I was…"

Ace sighed and scratched his head, wondering what he should say to that. If it were Luffy asking something like that, he'd laugh in his face and call him a moron. But it wasn't Luffy and that kid required more tact when being cared for. He wasn't good with words, though. So, pulling him close, he gave Marco a quick hug. "It's different, alright? You're out little brother," he began, rubbing the boy's back, "and those eggs aren't fertilized; they wouldn't hatch whether we ate them or not."

"…Really?"

"Really," he confirmed, pulling away to look into the child's eyes. Blue irises searched his face, looking for any trace of a lie and, finding none, he snuggled close to his caretaker's chest, stealing his warmth. Huffing in relief as the boy sought his comfort, Ace looked up to see Oyaji smiling down at them, silently sympathizing with his son.

_I can't believe we just had that conversation…_

Ace had been thinking that a lot as of late. He'd also been sighing more. But, well, that was part of caring for the first mate, he supposed.

…After going through all of that, he never wanted to be a parent.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry. I had to. I just had to. And I won't stop - at least not until Marco gets a little older. Review for weirdness?**

**To my lovelies~**

**shadowmarialove: Lol taking care of Luffy would have been hell. I've had homework since the first day T^T Mostly German.**

**mad100141: Yes, yes it is. Lol XD Well he does see Ace as his guardian and caretaker, so I guess in a was he does think of him as his mother... creepy thought. Yep, he acts a lot like that. That's actually what I based his instincts off of :)**

**Dee Spiegel: Glad you like! And thanks :D**

**Kitsune Foxfire: That is a good question - one that will be answered before long ;) It would be horribly embarrassing, especially after this chapter XD **

**azab: Glad you like!**

**Holmesz: Isn't he? XD I pity the crew having to put up with both of them when that happens :P I have some fluffy scenes planned for that, though. Hope this chapter lived up to your expectations.**

**Aimiko: Good, because there's lots more where that came from :P**

**yukiko hyuga-chan: Here's an update!**

**ssspooky: I actually have a few different fic ideas that mess around with Marco's past and childhood - one of which is already in the works called ****_Come Back Home _****:) Maybe you'll be interested in reading it when I finally decide to start posting. You're welcome!**

**Guest (3): You shall see~ Yep, Marco will eventually reach his teenage years. As for the rest, you'll just have to wait :P**

**Trich: Did'ya expect that? XD **

**Vergina-spva: I'm glad you like it! Hope my little random jokes are enjoyable for you guys!**

**(So that's all. Hope you guys enjoy it and look forward to the next! Review? :D Either way, I'll see you when I'm next able to update. Adieu~)**


	8. Reassurance

**To celebrate the end of midterms and my hiatus, I've decided to update EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY ONGOING FICS. AT ONCE.**

**I killed my wrists for you guys e_e I'm surprised they haven't exploded or something...**

**So this is the end of the fluff-oriented side of the fic. Not the end to the fluff, but we're going to be taking a certain turn after this. It should be interesting, at least ;)**

**Disclaimer: WHERE ARE MY ARMS?! Oh, right in front of me. Never mind. It's the caffeine, I swear! What am I talking about?!**

* * *

Marco scowled at the commanders as they went about their breakfast as usual, watching as the eggs he tried to save were shoved into their mouths and chewed. Apparently he still wasn't over the whole 'birds are food' thing. Ace knew it had to do with his ability and was certain they'd be put into other strange scenarios because of it. The phoenix made things interesting, at least.

"I'll need you to bring him to my room later," Izo stated as he cut into his omelette, taking small bites.

The commander's statement brought Ace from his mental ramblings and he blinked at the crossdresser. "Why?" he mumbled through the copious amount of food shoved into the hole beneath his nose.

Izo ignored his fellow commander's terrible table manners, looking away as he replied. "I need to take his measurements again. If I'm going to make more clothes for him, I don't want to make them too small."

Ace nodded. It made sense, and they had already noticed that he was growing far faster than he should. Though they hadn't openly discussed their theories as to why that was, Ace was certain they all came to the same conclusion. Since they didn't know much about the rebirth of a phoenix, it was all speculation, but he guessed that he was aging faster. If that was the case, they might not be stuck with a child for a first commander for another ten years. They'd have their old Marco back a lot sooner—or so he hoped. With so many questions left unanswered, that might not be the case. Since Marco was growing up all over again, would he turn out differently? Without his memories, could he ever really be the same?

"Come on, Marco," Thatch began, "why don't you eat? I know you're hungry."

The blonde glared at the pirate before turning away sharply.

Ace sighed. He was still upset?

* * *

Mid-afternoon found Ace leaning against the wall of Izo's room, arms folded as he watched his young charge be measured by the crossdresser. The little blonde stood rigidly still as the commander eyed him, holding a measuring tape up to his chest. They'd been at it for twenty or so minutes and the fire user was starting to get bored. But, well, Izo wanted to double check to make sure the measurements were the right size. They couldn't afford to waste material, making clothes that were too small.

"He really grew," the man stated offhandedly as he nudged the blonde, causing his back to straighten. "Three inches taller in four days…"

Ace blinked. That was a pretty big growth spurt. It only reinforced his theory further. With the evidence growing, so did his anxiety. He should have been happy. He was, mostly. But still, despite the relief he felt knowing that he hadn't completely destroy his big brother on the battlefield that day, he couldn't help this gnawing feeling that something wasn't right. Wasn't everything going along a little too well?

* * *

Pulling his mouth into a taut line, Ace stared at the tropical fruit he'd placed atop his dresser, embarrassment prominent in the blush of his cheeks. He couldn't believe he was doing that. But… he needed someone to talk to—to help sort out his thoughts and keep him calm. Marco was always the one he went to when something was troubling him. He always knew just what to say to make it feel like everything was going to be alright. But Marco wasn't there anymore—at least, not as used to be. Now he was the one who needed to be taken care of, and Ace didn't think he was the person most suited to care for him.

He just needed to get some things off his chest.

Staring at the pineapple with a furrowed brow, he imagined the first mate just as he was—tall with lazy eyes that had seen it all, arms folded casually across his chest, the tiniest hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

He swallowed.

"I… need to talk to you about something." _I'm seriously talking to a pineapple right now. We're seriously doing this._

_…Fuck._

_"What is it yoi?"_

And apparently the pineapple was answering him.

"It's about… you." His imagined image of the first mate raised a curious eyebrow. "You're… growing."

_"And?" _the visualization pressed.

"And I'm…" Ace groaned, sweeping a hand through his hair. "I don't know, I'm worried, alright?"

_"Why?"_

Ace dropped to his bed, head in his hands as he released a shivering breath. He bit his lip. "What… what if you're not the same?" he asked. "What if you're different? Or, what if something goes wrong?"

_"Would it matter yoi?"_

Ace opened his eyes, something clicking in his head.

_"Would you still call me your brother?"_

"Of course I—"

_"Then it's fine." Is it? "You're not the type to worry about things like this."_

He chewed on the inside of his mouth, lowering his hands to stare at the floorboards. "…But it's my fault."

* * *

Thatch's lopsided grin fell into his view as he looked up from his dinner.

"Do you forgive me yet?" he asked.

Marco swallowed, holding the apple close to his lips in preparation of another bite. He hadn't spoken to the redhead since that morning but they'd been together most of the day. Ace left him in the fourth division commander's care after they finished with Izo and he spent the majority of that time playing on deck, stealing shiny things whenever he had the change and placing them in his secret mound of treasure in the crow's nest. He wasn't sure why he collected those things, but they sure looked pretty.

To be perfectly honest, he didn't know why he was still upset with Thatch. His brother had never done anything to hurt him, and Ace told him that those eggs wouldn't have hatched, so it wasn't really bothering him anymore. Actually, he'd all but forgotten about it until Thatch brought it up again.

Curtly, he nodded.

Something was bothering him, though. It actually revolved around his caretaker, Ace. To be honest, he didn't really understand that man. Ace was nice and he really liked him for that, but sometimes he acted really weird—he kept apologising for something and then got really quiet. When he was like that, Marco didn't like being around him. It just felt strange. At the same time he didn't want to leave him, either.

Looking quizzically at the cook standing in front of him, he wondered if maybe he knew why Ace was like that.

"Thatch," he began quietly.

The commander leaned forward on the table, soft smile on his face. "What is it?"

"Is Ace hurt?"

Thatch gave him a strange look before asking, "What do you mean?"

Unable to find the words to describe it, he simply averted his eyes.

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he sat back in his chair, Thatch hummed. "Well, he was hurt in battle last week." When he spotted the curious glance the blond gave him, he decided to continue. "We were fighting marines."

"Marines?" the child echoed.

"They're the bad guys." Somehow Marco didn't think that was quite right—his gut told him otherwise—but he listened quietly. "A really mean one got a hold of Ace and almost killed him."

Marco's face paled. "…Killed?"

The redhead nodded. "But our big brother saved him, you know. It's because of him that Ace made it out of there alive."

The phoenix blinked and tilted his head. "What about 'big brother?'"

Thatch's face fell at that, a solemn look crossing his features. He didn't say anything then, reaching over to ruffle the blond's hair and offer him a ghost of a smile. The air felt heavy. Maybe he shouldn't have asked. Regardless of what happened, he was thankful to 'big brother.' If Ace wasn't there, he'd be _really_ lonely.

* * *

Marco carefully descended the stairs, being sure not to miss a step in the dark. After wandering around the ship the past week, he was able to easily find his way around it, almost like he'd been there for a long, long time. The crew didn't like him exploring on his own, but Thatch let him go back to his and Ace's room by himself, at least. He wished the hall lanterns were lit, though.

Finding himself on the inner level of the ship, the blond stepped down the narrow corridor leading to the commanders' rooms. He filed all the way down to the end, glancing at the last one. As he thought, he realized he'd never been in there. Most of the commanders let him into their rooms when they were there, but he hadn't actually met the first division commander—or he didn't realize it. Where was he?

He shrugged his thoughts off when he came to a halt in front of the second-last door, reaching up for the handle. He didn't open it, though, stopped when he heard Ace's voice.

"—don't know, I'm worried, alright?"

Marco blinked, lowering his hand. Who was Ace talking to? He sounded upset. Did something happen? Were his wounds hurting again?

"What… what if you're not the same? What if you're different? Or, what if something goes wrong?"

The blond stared at the door, completely oblivious to what his caretaker was talking about.

"Of course I—" A pause, "…But it's my fault. If something happens, it's all my fault. How can I face them?"

Marco pulled his mouth into a taut line, reaching once more for the knob, turning it and pushing it open to find Ace with… no one? "Ace?"

The fire user's head shot towards the door, shock clear in his features. "…Marco?" An embarrassed red coloured his cheeks and he turned away.

Stepping further into the room, the phoenix approached his brother, looking up at him with big, childish eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Hm?"

"Does it hurt?"

Ace looked down at him confusedly before it clicked, spotting the child's eyes on the few bandages still littered about his torso. He smiled, crouching to meet the boy at eye-level. "Nah, it's mostly healed."

Silence fell and Marco wondered if maybe Ace would expand on the story Thatch was telling him earlier. "Who saved you?"

Ace's eyes widened, face turning pallid white. "…What?"

His caretaker's shock went unnoticed as he elaborated. "Thatch said 'big brother' helped you. Who's that?"

Ace was quiet as his eyes searched the boy's face. Marco wasn't sure what the big deal was, but patiently awaited his answer. "Oh, uh… the first mate."

"Oh," he noised in understanding. Was that who the last room belonged to? "Where is he?"

"…He's not here anymore."

"…Oh." Somehow, Marco knew exactly what he meant. He wouldn't ask more. Instead, he simply said, "I'm glad."

"…That he saved me?"

"Yeah," he affirmed with a smile. "It'd be lonely without you."

He didn't notice the fire user's lip quiver ever so slightly behind his calm mask or the ominous pineapple in the corner of the room. When Ace pulled him into an uncharacteristic hug, he simply allowed it. The man wasn't normally so touchy, but he welcomed it anyways. He always loved how warm Ace felt because of his fire. It made him feel safe.

* * *

Ace was back on night watch after taking the week off to recover. Marco was there with him, looking over a pile of jewelry and other metallic objects he'd accumulated from hell knows where, picking them up one by one to get a closer look. He smiled weakly at the sight before turning back to face the empty ocean stretching across the horizon.

He had to laugh. While his imagining of the first mate earlier in the day was ridiculously accurate, the kids few, simple words were what eased his worries. Even reincarnated, Marco still had the ability to make anyone feel like everything was going to be alright. _Dependable even at less than two weeks old, huh? He hasn't changed at all._

"Why are you laughing?" Marco asked.

Ace turned to him once more, smiling. "You stole those from the crewmembers?"

"Some gave them to me," he stated, huddling his treasure closer protectively.

"Only some?" he mused. "You know, Jozu has a really cool ability. He can turn into a diamond, just like those." He pointed to two rings in the boy's hands.

"Really?"

Ace nodded. With what Oyaji told him before, he wondered what Marco would do with that information. In any case, it was sure to be comical.

But his amusement didn't last long, turning quickly to the dark thoughts he had before. "Hey, Marco," he called, looking away. "…It's not so bad if I'm here?"

"Mm," he noised with a nod.

He smiled, a distinct memory of his childhood flashing through his mind. "Thanks."

* * *

**A/N: Rule #1 of fanfiction - if things are going well, they won't be for long. Enjoy.**

**To my lovelies~**

**mad100141: I think some students did strike against them :P It died out quickly, though. Correct! Remember what I said when the fic started? This takes place before the start of the anime/manga. It's actually one of the few stories I'm working on that's canon. Marco would've panicked if he hadn't seen that Ace was snoring/breathing, but I think he's too level-headed to suddenly freak out over it, even as a kid. I mean it only took him like half a minute to realize Ace was alright. Their secret was freezies. Coolers upon coolers of freezies. Can't say, you'll have to wait and see :P **

**Blueh: Same, they're just so fun to write about XD Though I prefer writing darker themes, like ****_Divide, _****that have very little 'cute' things about them. It's SO much fun to work on, especially scenes involving Sabo and Law's cruelty. And the chapter I wrote today was unbelievably fun to write. Gah, only a few more chapters and then- Sorry, got off-topic. It's okay, I'm just happy that you review at all ^^ Reviews really keep me going.**

**shadowmarialove: Nah, German itself is pretty easy. It's the pace that's hard - Intensive German got its name for a reason e_e; Glad you like!**

**Yannaninin: Hehe glad you like~**

**Jamiez001: Yes, yes he does :)**

**ssspooky: About half of my stories are romances e_e; I just HATE when people rush into the relationships, it's unrealistic. All of the romances I've written thus far have all had hinting scenes and progress (apart from ****_Amidst the Heat_**** since it just started) so... I'm not really sure what you want, sorry :/ I don't write graphic romances, if that's what you mean. There'll be implied stuff later in fics like ****_Divide_**** and... ummm... hmmm... What others...? Probably ****_Admist the Heat_****, not sure about ****_Within_****... Anyways, other than those it'll mainly be emotional and some physical shows of affection, but that's it. Hope you still like 'em. This fic will never be a romance, though. Not at all.**

**Vergina-spva: Glad you like! The 'Marco getting older' thing will officially start next chapter! :D It'll be so fun to write~ Lol teenage Marco's going to be awesome. Rebellious phase FTW!**

**Morwyn K: I'm glad you think so! XD**

**azab: ^^**

**xXxWolveInTheNightxXx: Isn't he adorable?!**

**squishy: You're welcome~ This chapter's important but kinda doesn't match up to the last. Don't worry, though, because we're entering the second stretch of the story next chapter!**

**yukiko hyuga-chan: Here's an update!**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Lol me too XD Ace is an awesome brother. And I think he does pretty good as a parental figure, even if he doesn't like it :P Kinda feel bad for him being put in such an awkward position though... no I don't, it's too much fun :P**

**spoons-are-evil: Lol isn't he?! I had fun with that one. But now it's time to leave cuteness and enter the realm of the plot.**

**hensonmakenzie: I'll keep updating, don't worry :)**

**(SO. I think this was the most reviewed chapter thus far. Thank you guys so much for that ;_; I won't let you down! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go update EVERY OTHER FIC I HAVE! I'm on FIRE right now! Not literally ._. Adieu~)**


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